Open enrollment for 2015 is over. But if you owe a fee on your taxes for not having health coverage in 2014 and don’t yet have health coverage for 2015, you may still be able to get coverage for 2015.

In 2015, the fee for not having health coverage increases to $325 per person or 2% of your household income – whichever is higher. This fee generally applies if you can afford to have health coverage but choose to remain uninsured – although you may not have to pay the fee if you qualify for an exemption. If you don’t have coverage for the remainder of 2015, you’ll risk having to pay the fee again next year for the portion of the year you don’t have coverage.

The good news is that the Health Insurance Marketplace is providing individuals and families who are subject to the fee when they file their 2014 taxes with one last chance to get covered for 2015. In order to take advantage of this Special Enrollment Period, you must meet all of the following requirements:

You didn’t know that the health care law required you and your household to have health coverage until after February 15, 2015, or you didn’t understand how that requirement would affect you or your family.

You owe the fee for not having coverage for one or more months in 2014.

You aren’t already enrolled in 2015 qualifying health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace or outside the Marketplace.

If all of these apply to you, you’re eligible for a Special Enrollment Period that allows you to enroll in a 2015 plan. You also may be able to get lower costs on monthly premiums. Eight out of 10 people can find coverage for $100 or less a month with tax credits through the Marketplace.

The Special Enrollment opportunity runs from March 15 through April 30, 2015.

Get started on HealthCare.gov, or contact the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 to start your enrollment over the phone.

Please note:

If you owe a fee for not having coverage in 2014 but are already enrolled in a 2015 Marketplace plan, you can’t use this Special Enrollment Period to switch plans.

Even if you get coverage through this Special Enrollment Period (SEP), you still have to pay the 2014 fee.

You don’t need to have filed your 2014 taxes before enrolling with this SEP—you just have to owe the fee.

If any person in a household meets the criteria for this SEP, everyone in the household can enroll in coverage with it.

You may qualify for an exemption if you experienced certain life events, like changes in income, your household size, or health coverage, or if you’re a member of certain groups. If you qualify, you don’t have to pay the fee.

While the tool provides a lot of useful information, it can’t tell you if you actually qualify for an exemption. It can only show you if one of the exemptions may work for you, and how to apply. You’ll claim your exemptions by filling out IRS Form 8965 (PDF) or other forms when you file your taxes. Learn more about how to apply for an exemption.

If you enrolled in a plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace for 2014, you should’ve received an important tax statement in the mail, called Form 1095-A. This statement has information you need to fill out your 2014 federal income tax return.

Most people received a correct Form 1095-A. However, if we contact you because your Form 1095-A is incorrect, here's one reason why. Some forms included the monthly premium amount of the second lowest cost Silver plan for 2015 instead of 2014. The incorrect amount is listed in Part III, Column B of the Form 1095-A. We're working quickly to resolve this and any other issues with the 1095-A forms. This doesn't mean your tax credit was incorrect; this is purely an error in what was printed on the form.

If your form is affected by this issue, you’ll get a call and email from us in the next few days, and you'll get a message in your Marketplace account on HealthCare.gov. Once you log in, select your 2014 application, and then select "Tax forms." You'll see a message letting you know if your 1095-A form is being corrected. This is also where you'll find your corrected form when it's completed. When the corrected form is ready, we’ll send a message to your Marketplace account. All corrected forms should be available in March.

If your form was incorrect, please wait to file your 2014 Federal income taxes.

We encourage you to wait to file until you get your corrected Form 1095-A. If you can’t wait, and want to find the amount of the second lowest cost Silver plan that applied to your household in 2014, you have 2 options:

Call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325) and they can help

Already filed your taxes using the incorrect Form 1095-A?

You don't have to file an amended tax return if all of the following are true for you:

You enrolled in a 2014 Marketplace plan either through HealthCare.gov or through your state’s health insurance marketplace

You received an incorrect Form 1095-A

You filed your tax return based on the incorrect Form 1095-A

But if you filed with the incorrect Form1095-A, you may benefit from filing an amended return. For example, if the monthly premium for your second lowest cost Silver plan on the incorrect 1095-A you filed your taxes with lists a premium of $100 and the corrected form lists a premium of $200 (the premium on the incorrect form is lower than the premium on the correct form), you may benefit from amending.

Open enrollment is over. But if you were trying to enroll on February 15 and couldn’t finish, you may still be able to get coverage.

We know many of you worked hard to enroll in a plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Despite your best efforts, you may not have been able to complete your application and select a plan.

If that happened to you, don’t worry – you may still be able to get covered in 2015 if one of these applies to you:

You tried to enroll in health coverage by February 15, but you didn’t complete your enrollment because of longer than normal wait times at the Marketplace Call Center on February 13, 14 and 15.

You tried, but weren’t able to enroll in health coverage by February 15 because of a technical issue on HealthCare.gov, such as being unable to submit your application because verification sources were down.

To finish your enrollment, you must attest that one of the statements above is true. This opportunity will only be available until February 22, 2015. You should enroll in coverage as soon as you can. To complete your application, log in to your Marketplace account on HealthCare.gov, or contact the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 to complete your enrollment over the phone.

Note: This opportunity is intended to help you enroll for 2015 for the first time. If you are already enrolled in a plan through the Marketplace, you can’t switch to a different plan now unless you have recently experienced a life change that grants a Special Enrollment Period. Learn more about reporting life changes and Special Enrollment Periods.

Many people with 2014 coverage were automatically enrolled in their current plan or a similar plan so they continued to have coverage on January 1. Even if you were automatically enrolled, you can still change plans and find out if you qualify for new or different help with costs until February 15, 2015.

To update your information or change plans, follow these steps by February 15, 2015:

Log into your account. You may see a message telling you that you’ve been automatically enrolled using your 2014 plan information and selection. If you do, you’ll have coverage in 2015.

Make changes to your application, if you need to. If you need to update any of your information, you can update your pre-filled 2015 application by selecting the "Report a Life Change" option.

If you want to change plans but don't need to update your application, click on "My Plans & Programs."

Need help? Contact the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325). Or visit LocalHelp.HealthCare.gov to find someone in your community who can help you.

Starting in 2014, every person in the U.S. must have minimum health coverage or an exemption – otherwise they may pay a fee on their federal tax return. Many people without health coverage can get an exemption from the fee because of a special situation, like not having affordable health insurance plans available to you, having only a short gap in coverage, or being eligible for services through the Indian Health Service. Also, if you had coverage starting in May 2014 or earlier, you qualify for an exemption for those months in 2014 before your coverage started.

Marketplace exemptions that you can request by filling out an exemption form, signing it, and mailing it to the Health Insurance Marketplace. You’ll use different forms and have different options for each kind of exemption. After you submit your exemption form, the Marketplace will review it and determine if you qualify for an exemption. If you do, the Marketplace will send you a notice that will include your unique exemption certificate number (ECN). You’ll need your ECN when you file your federal taxes for the year you don’t have coverage.

The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), part of the Department of Homeland Security, has reported an email phishing scam targeted at Marketplace consumers. The phishing emails claim to come from a U.S. Federal Government Agency and reference the Affordable Care Act in the subject line. All official Marketplace emails are from Marketplace@HealthCare.gov.

If you get this phishing email or any email you aren’t sure is legitimate, delete it immediately or ignore it. Here’s what else you need to know:

Don’t follow the links or download attachments in the email. You can get to our website directly by typing in HealthCare.gov into your web browser.

If you or anyone in your household enrolled in a health plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace in 2014, this tax season you’ll get a new Form 1095-A — Health Insurance Marketplace Statement. You’ll get it in the mail by early February and use it to file your 2014 federal income tax return. Keep it with other important tax information, like your W-2 forms and other tax records.

When you get Form 1095-A, make sure the information matches your records. Check things like coverage start and end dates and the number of people in your household. If you think anything’s wrong, contact the Marketplace Call Center.

What’s on Form 1095-A?

Information about anyone in your household who enrolled in a health plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace for 2014.

Information about the monthly premiums you paid to your health plan.

The amount of any advance payments of the premium tax credit that were paid to your health plan in 2014. These are the credits that lowered what you paid in monthly premiums.

The cost of a "benchmark" premium that your premium tax credit is based on.
You won’t get this form if you have health coverage through a job or programs like Medicaid, Medicare, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). You may get more than one Form 1095-A if anyone in your household switched plans in 2014 or reported life changes. You’ll get a Form 1095-A even if you had Marketplace coverage for only part of 2014.

You can download copies of Form 1095-A through your Marketplace account, where they may be available before you get your copy in the mail.

Need help? For more information about how health coverage will affect your taxes, visit HealthCare.gov/taxes/.

Did you know that your health coverage may affect your taxes? If anyone in your household enrolled in a Marketplace plan in 2014, you’ll need some new information when you file your federal income taxes.

Here are 5 things to know about health coverage and your taxes:

Watch your mail for Form 1095-A. It will help you file your 2014 federal taxes. If you enrolled in a Marketplace health plan in 2014, you’ll get this new form in the mail from the Marketplace by early February. This form includes important information like the monthly premiums you paid to your health plan and the amount of any advance payments of the premium tax credit that were paid to your health plan in 2014.

Your final premium tax credit for 2014 will be computed with your federal income tax return. The amount of your 2014 premium tax credit is based on your final income for the year, which you’ll find out when you complete your taxes. If during the year you used less advance payments of the premium tax credits than you’re eligible for, you’ll get a credit on your tax return. If you took more advance payments than you’re eligible for, you may need to pay the difference with your tax return.

If you didn’t have health coverage for part of 2014, use Form 8965. If your Marketplace coverage started partway through 2014 and you were uninsured earlier in the year, you’ll need to fill out Form 8965 from the IRS when you file your taxes. This will show you if you qualify for an exemption from paying a fee for the months you didn’t have coverage.

You may pay a fee with your taxes if you didn’t have health coverage in 2014 and didn’t get an exemption. If you could’ve afforded health coverage in 2014 but chose not to buy it, and you don’t qualify for an exemption, you may need to pay a fee with your federal tax return.

If you had 2014 health coverage from another source you’ll just need to check a box on your federal income tax form. You won’t get Form 1095-A. Coverage from another source includes coverage from a job, Medicare, Medicaid, or a plan you bought outside the Marketplace.

Need help? For more information about how health coverage will affect your taxes, visit HealthCare.gov/taxes.

If you’ve enrolled in a plan and paid your first month’s premium, congratulations! Your enrollment is complete.

If you haven’t paid it yet, don’t wait. Follow the instructions from your insurer about how and when to make your first premium payment. Take careful note of the date the payment is due and be sure to send your payment by then. If you don’t, you may lose your coverage.

Contact us by phone to get answers to your questions from a customer service representative. (Representatives may not have access to your information or be able to update your application during maintenance periods.)

The Open Enrollment Period for 2015 coverage is over. There are only 2 ways you can still enroll in 2015 coverage:

Need coverage for 2015? There's still time to enroll in a plan for 2015 that meets your needs and budget. Your coverage can start on February 1 or March 1, depending on when you enroll. Open Enrollment ends on February 15, 2015.

If you bought a health insurance plan through the Marketplace in 2014, you’ll need to decide whether to renew your current plan (if it’s still offered) or change plans for 2015. To get started, check out the 5 Steps to Staying Covered.

Time is running out! There are only 4 days left to enroll in a health plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace with coverage starting on January 1. Act now to join the millions of Americans already enrolled in quality health coverage for 2015.

If you bought a health insurance plan through the Marketplace in 2014, you’ll need to decide whether to renew your current plan or change plans for 2015. To get started, check out the 5 Steps to Staying Covered.

Step 4 to staying covered is to choose a health plan for 2015. You can keep the same plan you had in 2014 (as long as it’s still offered) or select a new one that better fits your needs. If you want to stay enrolled in your 2014 plan, use the 14-digit plan ID in the letter you get from your health plan.

For Employers

Getting health coverage for your small business for 2015 is easier than ever before. For the first time, you can use the SHOP Marketplace to enroll online for coverage that starts as early as January 2015. Learn more about how to enroll with this step-by-step guide.

If you bought a health insurance plan through the Marketplace in 2014, you’ll need to decide whether to renew your current plan or change plans for 2015. To get started, check out the 5 Steps to Staying Covered.

It’s important to compare 2015 health plans to your current coverage (Step 3), because new and more affordable plans may be available this year.

A lot can change in a year. If you already have health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, it’s important to update your 2015 application after November 15 with any changes in your income, household, or personal information.

By updating your information, you’ll be sure to see all the 2015 plan choices you’re eligible for and get the right amount of savings. If you don’t update your income information, you could miss out on additional savings to lower your monthly premiums.

If you already have health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, it’s time to review your plan and decide if you want to make changes for 2015. You can choose to stay in your current plan (if it’s still offered) or change to a different plan.

Insurance companies can change a plan’s premiums, cost-sharing, and the benefits and services they cover each year. Every fall, your health insurance company sends you a notice explaining these changes. It’s important to review your plan’s 2015 health coverage to make sure it still meets your needs.

Open Enrollment for 2015 coverage starts in just 10 days. Starting November 15, you can fill out or update a Marketplace application and enroll in a 2015 plan. Until then, here are 10 ways you can get ready:

Did you know that if you bought a health insurance plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace in 2014, you can renew your current plan or enroll in a different plan for 2015? There may be new, more affordable health care plans available to you that weren’t an option last year, or you may find another plan that better fits your needs.

Starting November 15th, you’ll be able to apply and enroll in 2015 Marketplace coverage. When you fill out a Marketplace application, you can compare plans based on price, benefits, and other important features. You’ll also find out if you qualify for free or low-cost coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Starting November 15, for the first time you’ll be able to enroll through the SHOP Marketplace entirely online. You can complete an application, choose coverage, and enroll yourself or you can work with an agent or broker.

We’re doing maintenance and upgrades to improve the site during certain time periods. The HealthCare.gov website itself is still available. This means you can learn about the Marketplace and be well prepared when the system is available again.

When you applied for Marketplace coverage, you might have reported a lower household income than we could verify in our data sources. If so, it's important that you submit your proof of income documents to the Marketplace to fix this data matching issue. We need to verify your income so you can keep any help you get with Marketplace premiums and cost-sharing.

You must submit your documents by September 30th:

Time is running out. You may get a letter this week telling you that if you don't submit your documents by September 30, 2014, your help with Marketplace costs like your monthly premiums, deductible, copayments, or coinsurance may change or end.

Thinking about moving, getting married or having a baby? When you make big decisions in life, you may also become eligible for Marketplace coverage outside of Open Enrollment through a Special Enrollment Period.

Help your kids start the new school year strong by making sure they get the health coverage they need. With Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), they can get check-ups, immunizations, eye exams, and other care they need to participate in classroom and after-school activities.

We’ve been reaching out to some of you by mail, email, and phone if some information you gave us on your Health Insurance Marketplace application doesn’t match the data we have on file. It’s important that you submit the documents we need so we can help you stay covered through the Marketplace and keep any help you get with premiums and cost-sharing.

We know you’re listening because we’re getting thousands of documents every day and are working around the clock to review these documents to confirm you are eligible for Marketplace coverage. If you’ve mailed or uploaded documents already, we’ll let you know as soon as we’ve finished reviewing them.

Choosing the right provider is one of the most important decisions you’ll make about your health care. We can help you find the right one.

Remember, you’re looking for a provider you can trust and work with to improve your health and well-being, so take time to think about what you need. Depending on how complicated your health care needs are, you may need to see more than one type of provider.

It’s important that you know where to go for medical care when you need it. There are some big differences between visits to your primary care provider and visits to the emergency room, such as cost, time spent waiting for care, and follow up.

Getting regular medical care: Primary care providers work with you to ensure that you get the right preventive services, manage your chronic conditions, and improve your health. Before you go to the doctor’s office, clinic, or health center, visit your health plan’s website and check their provider directory online. You can also call your insurer directly with questions or call a provider to see if they accept your health plan.

You may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period and not even know it. Did you recently get married, have a baby, adopt a child, or move? Did your student health plan just expire? If so, you may be able to get Marketplace coverage outside of Open Enrollment.

Health coverage pays for provider services, medications, hospital care, and special equipment when you’re sick. It’s also important when you’re not sick.
Marketplace coverage includes preventive health services like immunizations for children and adults, annual doctor visits for women and seniors, screening and counseling for people of all ages, and more. The best news – it’s free.

Once you have Marketplace coverage, it’s important to report life changes. This information may change the coverage or savings you’re eligible for.
Here are 7 things to know about reporting life changes:

While Marketplace health coverage is important, there’s no substitute for living a healthy lifestyle. Staying healthy increases the chances you’ll be there for your family and friends for many years to come. Use your Marketplace health coverage when you are sick and when you are well, to help you live a long and healthy life.

While most people provided all the data they needed on their applications, some consumers were asked for follow-up when they applied for Marketplace coverage. If we asked you for information to back up what you put on your application, we need your help. Sometimes the information in your application doesn’t match what we found in other records. You were still able to finish the enrollment process, but you need to follow up as soon as possible and provide more documents to make sure the Marketplace has the correct information.

Health care continues to be an important issue for small business owners. The Small Business Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, and Small Business Majority are committed to helping businesses navigate the changes and opportunities in health care through the Affordable Care Act 101 webinar series.

Small business owners can learn the basics of the Affordable Care Act and how they can enroll in the SHOP Marketplace. Other topics discussed include insurance reforms, the small business health care tax credit, and employer shared responsibility provisions. SBA, HHS, and SBM representatives help small business owners understand the facts of the Affordable Care Act so they can make informed decisions about providing health insurance for their employees.

Affordable coverage options are available in the Health Insurance Marketplace for immigrant families. If you’ve recently moved to the United States and had a change in your immigration status, here are some things you should know about Marketplace coverage:

If you’re one of the millions of Americans who recently obtained health coverage through the new Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance (CHIP), From Coverage to Care materials can help answer questions you might have so you can make the most of your health coverage. Resources are available at marketplace.cms.gov/c2c. Some of the topics covered include:

Mother’s Day might be behind us but it’s not too late to give your mother a special gift. Let the moms in your life know that health insurance is available through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Enrollment is open all year round. Children and teens up to 19 can qualify for free or low-cost coverage – and parents may be eligible too.

Open Enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace is closed for 2014, but you may still have options to get health coverage this year. And if you joined the millions of Americans who have already signed up for Marketplace coverage, we can help you learn how to use it.

Now that you’ve joined millions of Americans in getting coverage, you need to learn how to use it.

Here are some steps you can take right now to ensure that you have access to health care once your coverage begins. Follow the links below to learn how to confirm your enrollment with your insurance company, fill a prescription, get care when and where you need it, and appeal a decision by your insurance company.

We know many of you worked hard to finish enrolling in a health plan in the Health Insurance Marketplace. Sometimes despite your best efforts, you might have run into delays caused by heavy traffic to HealthCare.gov or our call center, maintenance periods, or other special situations that prevented you from finishing the process on time.

As we enter the final days of this historic open enrollment period, more than 6 million Americans have signed up for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplaces since October 1, thanks to the Affordable Care Act.

More Americans every day are finding quality, affordable coverage on the Health Insurance Marketplace.

We recently announced that enrollment in the Marketplace continued to rise in February to a five-month total of 4.2 million. These numbers demonstrate that our aggressive outreach is helping to make a difference – with millions of Americans now enjoying the peace of mind that comes with new coverage.

No matter what state you live in, you'll be able to use the Health Insurance Marketplace to apply for health coverage. This is true whether your state runs its own Marketplace or the federal government runs it for your state.

As we head into the final weeks of open enrollment, HealthCare.gov and CuidadoDeSalud.gov are ready to serve you. We all deserve the security and the peace of mind that comes from having health coverage that we can count on when we need it most. And we continue to make the application process easier for you.

Consumers are applying and enrolling in quality, affordable health coverage every day using HealthCare.gov and State-based Marketplaces around the country. More than 3 million have enrolled so far, and we hope millions more will do so by March 31, the end of open enrollment.

From Saturday February 15, 2014 at 3:00PM until Tuesday, February 18, 2014 at 5:00AM EST, the Social Security Administration will conduct required, regularly scheduled systems maintenance activities over the three day weekend. During this period, verification of Social Security Numbers and other related data via the Data Services Hub will be unavailable. All other services of the Hub will be functioning as normal.

When sickness or injury strike, having health insurance can mean the difference between falling and getting back up and dropping out of the game.

I know, because I was at the top of my game - I felt invincible - but when I went for my regular team physical it turned out I had a serious kidney disease. Thankfully it was caught in time to treat it and luckily, I was insured.

Since October 1st, more than 6 million people have enrolled in coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace or Medicaid.

If you’ve completed an application and chosen a plan on the Marketplace, you may still need to take a couple of steps in order to ensure that your coverage takes effect. Most important, you need to pay your first month’s premium on time. Follow the instructions from your insurer about how and when to make your premium payment and the due date. You should also contact the plan you selected to confirm that enrollment has, in fact, taken place.

We know many of you have been working hard to finish enrolling in a health plan in the Health Insurance Marketplace. Even though we have passed the December 23 enrollment deadline for coverage starting January 1, we don’t want you to miss out if you’ve been trying to enroll.

Sometimes despite your best efforts, you might have run into delays caused by heavy traffic to HealthCare.gov, maintenance periods, or other issues with our systems that prevented you from finishing the process on time. If this happened to you, don’t worry – we still may be able to help you get covered as soon as January 1.

For millions of Americans quality, affordable coverage is just around the corner. And making sure people know about the new options available to them, and providing a smooth transition to this new day for coverage is our top priority

Welcome back to the Health Insurance Marketplace! We’ve made many improvements over the last eight weeks to help you complete your enrollment.

Here are some of the new features you’ll find on HealthCare.gov:

More robust window shopping. You can now see detailed information about each Marketplace health insurance plan offered in your area before you apply. This new tool will allow you to see plan prices displayed much more accurately, based on the household information you supply. You can compare plans, covered benefits, physician and hospital networks, and more. No login or application required. Just answer a few simple questions to see plans and prices in your area. You will still need to complete the application to find out how you can get lower costs, but this is a much enhanced version of earlier information and one more way you can get the information you need to help you get ready to enroll and find a plan that fits your needs and budget.

We know that the initial consumer experience has been frustrating for many of you. We're committed to making things better and providing the help and health coverage you need.

In particular, many people told us they had problems creating their Marketplace accounts – that things got “stuck” somewhere along the way and they never got across the finish line. We’re working hard to fix all of the technical problems on HealthCare.gov and we can report that most users are now able to successfully create online Marketplace accounts.

You’ll know if you had problems with your account if you never got to see a big “SUCCESS” screen. Maybe the security questions froze, or you never got an email with a verification link, or the email link didn’t work. If this sounds like your experience, now is the time to try again to create a Marketplace account.

We know using HealthCare.gov has been frustrating for many Americans. The initial consumer experience of HealthCare.gov has not lived up to the expectations of the American people. We are committed to doing better.

We’ve been gathering feedback since the day we launched – from our customer service representatives, social media channels, and through hundreds of thousands of online surveys and comments. And we’re listening.

We’ve been making changes to respond directly to your feedback and will continue to do so. A few of our most important changes so far:

Open enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace is here and we’re working hard to help you get covered. We’re making improvements to HealthCare.gov and more people are applying and getting covered every day.

You can apply for health coverage, compare all your options, and enroll in a plan in one streamlined application through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
When open enrollment begins October 1, 2013, you can fill out your application and see the health coverage options available to you.

Alejandra is an ambitious student with big dreams.
She is looking forward to college and has plans to become a health professional – just like her big sister Mayra. And like millions of young adults across the country, Alejandra does not have health insurance.

Making ends meet. Trying to make something of herself.

There’s a new way to get help with your application for coverage in the Health Insurance Marketplace.

Visit LocalHelp.HealthCare.gov to find help in your area. You can search by city and state or ZIP code to see a list of local organizations with contact information, office hours, and types of help offered, such as non-English language support, Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP).

If you’re under 26, you may be able to get covered on a parent’s health insurance plan. This applies to you even if you are at school, not living at home, eligible for an employer’s plan, or not financially dependent on your parents. It even applies to you if you are married.

What’s covered in the Health Insurance Marketplace

These essential health benefits include at least the following items and services:

Outpatient care—the kind you get without being admitted to a hospital

Trips to the emergency room

Treatment in the hospital for inpatient care

Care before and after your baby is born

Mental health and substance use disorder services: This includes behavioral health treatment, counseling, and psychotherapy

Your prescription drugs

Services and devices to help you recover if you are injured, or have a disability or chronic condition. This includes physical and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, psychiatric rehabilitation, and more.

Uninsured and making ends meet

Your best protection against fraud is you! Starting October 1, 2013, you can apply for health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace, on HealthCare.gov. A few simple things can protect you from fraud, while getting you the coverage you need.

Jaime’s a 27-year-old college graduate who hasn’t been to the doctor since her 11th grade physical. She makes less than $20,000 a year. Like millions of Americans, Jaime does not have health insurance.

The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) is a new program that simplifies the process of buying health insurance for your small business. And now there’s a new way to get help with your health insurance questions– the Health Insurance Marketplace Small Employer call center.

Call us right now to get your SHOP and small business questions answered by a customer service representative at 1-800-706-7893 or (TTY: 1-800-706-7915 ). The call center is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST.

We know you’ve got questions about the new Health Insurance Marketplace. We’ve received thousands of them over the past month.

Answering your questions is central to our mission:

We launched the new HealthCare.gov to feature an easy-to-understand question and answer format, with content based on the most common questions we hear from you.

We provided you with new way get your health insurance options and info—just answer a few quick questions and we’ll provide you with a personalized list of coverage options, content tailored to your situation, and a checklist to help you get ready.

We know there are lots of questions surrounding the new Health Insurance Marketplace coming in 2014. That’s why we’ve updated HealthCare.gov with you - the consumer - in mind.

Get to Know the Marketplace: We’re holding our first-ever Health Insurance Marketplace Hangout at 2:30pm on July 10, 2013. And we’re taking your questions using the hashtag #HCgovHangout. Visit HealthCare.gov on Google+ to learn more.

Get Answers Right Away: There’s a new way for you to learn about the Health Insurance Marketplace and your coverage options. Just answer a few quick questions and we’ll provide you with a personalized list of programs you may be eligible for, content you’ll want to read, and a checklist to help you get ready. Note: Specific plans and prices won’t be available until October 1. Start Now

Health insurance is changing in important ways in 2014. We’ve updated HealthCare.gov to help you get ready for those changes, especially one of the most important: the opening of the new Health Insurance Marketplace.

Getting covered in the Health Insurance Marketplace

No matter where you live, you can use the Marketplace to find a high-quality health plan and enroll to get coverage. With one application you can compare plans based on price, benefits, and other important features before you decide. You’ll also see if you qualify to save money on monthly premiums or out-of-pocket costs—or for free or low-cost health coverage options.